Calibration of mitochondrial DNA evolution in geese |
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| Authors: | Gerald F Shields Allan C Wilson |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Biochemistry, University of California, 94720 Berkeley, California, USA;(2) Present address: Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, 99775 Fairbanks, Alaska, USA |
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| Abstract: | Summary Mitochondrial DNA was purified from five American species of geese representing the generaAnser andBranta, which have fossil records. The results of electrophoretic comparisons of about 75 fragments per individual produced by 14 restriction enzymes imply that the mean extent of sequence divergence between species ofAnser andBranta is about 9%. Fossil evidence suggests that these two groups of geese had a common ancestor 4–5 million years ago. Thus, the mean rate of sequence divergence in goose mitochondiral DNA is not far from 2% per million years, the value in mammals. |
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| Keywords: | Mitochondria DNA Fossils Evolutionary rates Birds Restriction patterns Avian phylogeny |
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